Shaw at Home: Providing Personalized Palliative Care

This article first appeared in the 2024 Annual Update >

One Year of Home-Based Cancer Care  

Undergoing cancer treatment and care is personal and challenging for patients and their families. Since its launch on May 30, 2023, the Shaw at Home program, an extension of Vail Health Shaw Cancer Center, has been working to alleviate some of the stress by bringing personalized palliative care directly into the homes of cancer patients, improving access, reducing suffering, and ensuring continuity from a trusted team.

Thanks to the generosity of benefactors, the program conducted 1,427 home visits in its first year, helping patients and families better navigate one of life’s most difficult times. 

Tailored Care in the Comfort of Home  

Shaw at Home staff work alongside other Shaw Cancer Center team members, hospital staff, and agencies to provide compassionate, customized care in the patient’s home environment. Prioritizing care and communication with their team of specialists, this home-based care model eases patient distress and elevates overall quality of life.

Meeting Patients’ Needs at Every Step  

Patient and family feedback guides the program and ensures patient needs are met. Participants and their families have expressed profound gratitude for the program, highlighting caregivers’ compassion, professionalism, and ability to truly hear and understand their patients’ needs.  

Looking Ahead  

Shaw at Home staff continues to look at ways to improve the program. One goal is to increase the number of patients who complete advanced-care-planning documents. These directives allow individuals to make decisions about their future medical care, particularly when they cannot express their preferences.

Thanks to benefactor support, the program entered its second year of a three-year pilot, continuing to focus on providing in-home palliative care to ease the stress on patients and their families.

Our family would like to thank the Shaw Cancer Center and Shaw at Home for the compassionate, professional care we received throughout this heartbreaking journey.”Family Member